The Old Guard feels like a special niche of a film. Though it wasn't the most talked-about, it was a reliably entertaining movie with some charming flaws. To be honest, I had known about it but only tuned in last night, and man, I had a blast. I am unsure how faithful it is to the graphic novel of the same name, but The Old Guard should be proud of itself as an action-fantasy film.
After five long years (fitting for a story about immortals), The Old Guard 2 has released on Netflix to less acclaim than its predecessor. While it has many of the same things to love from the first installment, including spectacular fights, mysterious lore and lovable characters, it has some of the same flaws, and they're harder to excuse this time.
Review: The Old Guard 2
The Old Guard certainly wasn't a perfect movie, but it was a fun treat if you wanted something a little different. Although it may have left you wanting more character depth and visual creativity, it's one of the better straight-to-streaming movies out there. My only gripes with the first movie was the lack of character development for Nile (KiKi Layne), arguably the secondary protagonist, and the very out-of-place soundtrack. The immortal warrior Andy (Charlize Theron) had the most compelling arc, which makes sense since she's the main character. But everyone, even pseudo-antagonist Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor), had more interesting decisions to make than Nile, the newest member of Andy's immortal crew.
In The Old Guard 2, there are certain improvements and a lot of goodies for hardcore fans, but the movie still doesn't explore Nile's character in the way I wanted. The story continues to focus on Andy's past, which resurfaces from the seabed in the form of Quynh (Vân Veronica Ngô), Andy's millennia-old friend. Right when Andy thought she had found peace, she was wrecked with guilt for seemingly having moved on from Quynh, someone she swore to protect "until the end." Meanwhile, we see the team, including Joe (Marwan Kenzari), Nicky (Luca Marinelli), and Nile, balance tension about whether to trust Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts) again, who had sold them out in the last movie. In another side-plot, Joe and Nicky's relationship hits some speed bumps.
Besides all of that, Nile's character goes nowhere. New additions are slapped onto her, such as iconic spear weapons and a special, frightening immortal ability, but she's not given anything to reflect on as an individual. Rather, she follows everyone around and gives solid advice, but that's about it. She doesn't miss her family or build a deeper connection with any other character. She's used as a vessel for the plot to move forward, but doesn't get any agency.
The Old Guard 2 is an old dog using the same tricks, but those tricks are still impressive. Where it shines is in how it spins the idea of immortal warriors. We learn more about the secret history and the network that the immortals had formed. The magic system is still quite vague, so don't expect huge reveals about its cosmology and inner workings, but it does expand on its simple premise. It invites the viewer the speculate and want to learn more about what's hiding beyond their reach. To a degree, The Old Guard (2020) has done a better job delivering the Assassin's Creed vibe than the Assassin's Creed movie, which we will pretend doesn't exist.
And I'm happy to report that the music has improved slightly. There are still some out-of-place songs on the soundtrack, but composers Steffen Thum and Ruth Barrett orchestrated a deeply moving score that adds weight to the emotional moments even when the screenwriting is lacking.
Verdict
Maintaining quality in a speculative-fiction franchise is no easy feat, just ask Kevin Feige. However, I still believe Victoria Mahoney should be proud of what she's accomplished thus far. There is still room for improvement, but The Old Guard 2 hasn't regressed as badly as some make out. Still, the next movie, assuming it's made, has a legacy of goodwill and mistakes to surpass.
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